Xuan's sobs echoed in the meeting room of Lanthanor, which had been sealed so perfectly that there wasn't a single soul alive who could look in, and see what was going on.
Daneel was caught a bit off-guard, but he wasn't the naive boy who had given away his first kiss so easily in the library of the Goddess's Sanctum.
No, this entire ordeal, and everything that had happened since then had hardened and matured him, and hence, he knew what he was supposed to do the moment he saw the emotions in Xuan's eye.
He hugged her back, feeling her frail body in his arms, and as she let it all out, he became the firm rock which she could finally lean on, as she had been lost amidst tumultuous storms until now.
He knew the short version of what had happened to her, but seeing her in this state, he realized, right away, that there must be something, or even a lot, more.
And besides…this was one other woman who he truly cared for, from the bottom of his heart. True, her's was not a character that many would like: she was an entitled person whose actions might even be considered irritating to many, and the incident where she had almost killed Eloise especially came to mind when Daneel thought about all the interactions he had had with her.
However, even then, she had not wavered in her decision to right her wrong, thereby giving Eloise a new life which she hadn't wasted, at great cost to her and her sect.
After that, her tempestuous feelings for Daneel had let to that private moment which was still fresh in Daneel's mind, and although the most prominent thing after that was that time when both women had 'advised' him about what he should do if he wanted either of them, she had always stayed in Daneel's heart.
He didn't know what he saw in her. In fact…he was pretty sure that it was something that hadn't even shown itself yet, but was present, deep within, whose hint, like the hint of spring that could lift one's spirits even though all they saw around them was the desolation of winter, was truly something to behold.
Of course, there had been a long period of them not meeting after that, during which she had apparently been training in seclusion, and what followed this…was that moment when Daneel had seen the video proof that had led to him becoming a wanted man on Angaria.
He had known that the hammer would fall, but he would be lying if he said that he hadn't been extremely shocked to see it fall in that way.
He had known, right away, that it must be a plot, and this had even lingered in the back of his mind all throughout his absence from the continent. He had been worried about her, and although this worry had combined with what he felt for the continent, it still stood out, carrying a different tinge to it that set it apart from the rest, and was similar, but not completely the same as what he had felt for Eloise.
Right after fixing everything and waking up, Daneel had inquired about her through the Head. The Head had told him that the ordeal she had gone through had resulted in her entering a coma-like state, and he had taken the step to have her looked after by the best healers in the Order.
It was only today that she had woken up, and after handling the things at hand, Daneel had had her teleported to him.
While he thought about all these things, Xuan began to clutch at him madly, as if she was afraid that he would leave, all while still crying so loudly that it was a miracle that she hadn't gone hoarse.
Daneel was quite puzzled about her state, in general, but this brought the worry to a whole other level: what had she gone through, to make her behave like this? What had happened to this strong woman who had been poised to become the next Goddess of Angaria?
The system, which had already been tasked to thoroughly scan her, gave him the answer.
[Analysis complete. Multiple issues found in target. Listing in order of importance.
Acute Damage to Consciousness: Consciousness of target has been damaged severely, and is in a state close to falling apart. Urgent action is recommended if host wishes to save the target from permanently becoming deranged. 2 methods have been identified for this purpose.
Acute Damage to Physical Body: Target's left eye, heart and genitals have been damaged extensively over a prolonged time. Damage was done in such a way that attempts to heal will take a long time, and will be excruciating for target. It has been detected that an unknown individual has taken the right step of isolating damage and timing the healing process so that it will only work when target is asleep, in order to cause less pain. Ordinarily, target should be kept in an unconscious state, but due to the state of consciousness of target, this would be very risky, as further tinkering could result in direct collapse.
Acute Lack of Energy & Nutrition over a Prolonged Time: Target has been starved from both Energy and food. This has led to target falling in power level to the Peak Warrior level. Physical body is also in an extremely malnourished state. Most ideal steps to remedy this have already been taken, but time will be required for a full recovery.
Further analysis has deduced that the damage to consciousness was done to alter target's memory. There are signs that this damage was done recently, in the span of 1-2 weeks. It is recommended that host enlists the help of those well-versed in the study of consciousness for further analysis, who might be able to give a more accurate timeframe.]
Daneel looked as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt as he was given the analysis by the system.
And in the next second…this shock was replaced by rage.
He shook as this emotion filled his body, and this made Xuan recoil, before she hesitatingly pulled back a bit to look at Daneel.
Her face was still covered by her hair, which was now accompanied by tears and snot, too. However, it looked like they had paused due to the change that had come over him, and she was looking at him almost fearfully, as if she was afraid of something he might do.
Daneel still didn't know the full story. But what he saw in her eye…melted his heart.
She looked exactly like a little kid who had been kidnapped and abused, and had hence been damaged so profoundly that it would take a lifetime of healing to get back to even a semblance of normalcy. If such a child were reunited with those she loved, she would cry her heart out, but she would also be fearful, as the world had shown its real, cruel side, and she would not be ready to trust anyone, or anything for a long, long time.
In Daneel's mind, it was as if a war had begun between the rage, which was still present, and sadness, which had been given birth by the pain and fear with which Xuan was seeing him.
Still looking into her eye, he slowly raised a shaking hand to her face, and although she moved back a bit, she stopped and let it approach.
With his finger, he moved aside the hair that covered her other eye…and let out a gasp of horror.
Where her eye was supposed to be, there was only a deep, gouged out hole, which was currently covered by a careful formation that was clearly laid down by the healer who had attended to her.
It almost looked like the flesh inside had been scooped out by something as rough as a small shovel, again and again, until even the tissue of her brain could be seen in the depths of that hole.
She covered it swiftly after that, as if scared that he might react in some or the other way, and as she continued to look at him, Daneel understood that he first had to control his anger.
He shoved it down, but the more he tried to put it aside, the more it grew.
Who had done this? And why?
These burning questions refused to leave, and Daneel knew that if he found the answer now, he wouldn't hesitate from setting out with his Heroes and mincing them into tiny bits.
This…was his Xuan! And they had broken her so thoroughly that she was even scared of him!
Whoever had done it would definitely pay, but first…if what the system said was true, then he had to act.
With a superhuman exertion of will, he managed to shove aside that emotion, which lead Xuan to look relieved before hugging him again.
She didn't start to bawl again, but she stayed there, clutching him tightly and sniffling.
"System, what is the best method to help her consciousness?"
Daneel asked this after seeing her relax, a bit, and the answer he got was actually one he had expected.
[Because of host's bond with target, host has a chance of healing target's consciousness if the nuclei of damage within can be located and resolved. This would be impossible for anyone else, as the consciousness would clamp shut.]
When one was damaged, they would revert to their instincts, and Daneel had always had a very special place in Xuan's heart. Hence, what the system was basically saying was that he would be allowed inside, whereas others would be rejected right away.
Without hesitating at all, he said, "All right. Start it."
A familiar feeling hit Daneel, and the last thing he saw was Xuan slumping in his arms, unconscious.
Soon, he was back in a familiar place: the vast, empty space that was accessible when one was asleep or not conscious, which Daneel had used before to contact Percy when he had been in such a state.
However…in Percy's case, it had been a void, but here, cracks were present all over, as if someone had struck the entire place with a hammer in an attempt to break it apart.
These cracks crisscrossed, and there were some places where multiple ones intersected. In these intersections, red, pulsing globes that were similar to what he had entered before, in Percy's case, to talk to him could be seen, and Daneel was able to figure out that these must be the 'nuclei' that the system had mentioned.
He chose the largest one which was nearby, and from his point, he could see that it was showing a dark room.
Willing himself forward, Daneel entered the globe, and in the next moment, he was hit by a rank odor.
It made him instinctually use his hand to cover his nose, and in the process, he looked up to witness a sight which made him freeze.
A chair was in the middle of the room, on which light was shining from the ceiling.
A woman was tied to it, dressed in coarse robes which were stained with blood, and from the way the hands of the wooden chair were whittled away at the spot where the cords that tied her to it were present, it was obvious that she had been in the same position that he was seeing her in for months.
She was taking short breaths of air, as if it hurt to breathe normally, and as the door near Daneel suddenly opened, she shuddered and looked up.
That same face covered by hair became visible, but that eye was filled with something different.
It was…determination.
The one who entered was hazy, for some reason, but the moment they entered, their voice was heard clearly.
"For how much longer will you persist in this foolish endeavor? It has been three months…90 f*cking days! Each day, I tortured you, broke you, starved you, made you live in your own sh*t and pee. Each day, I took you close to that boundary before sanity and insanity. Each day, I used every method passed down by the legendary Empress of Torture of the Empire which she guaranteed would make anyone sell out their own parents. But you…still haven't given up! All you need to do is give one, small statement!! Do that, and you can be the Goddess again! That guy doesn't give a f*ck about you! You saw how he was gallivanting with that shrew instead of even trying to find out where you were! Is he worth going through all this? Just give in, and it'll all be over!"
That last sentence echoed in the room, and for a little bit of time, there was silence as Daneel stood there, rooted to the spot, his mind blank.
Her answer, which she gave in a rasping, yet unrelenting voice jolted him awake.
"I, Xuan, was born and raised as a haughty brat. I was told again and again that I was special, and that I need not keep anyone in my sights. This led me to become a typical member of the Big Four- arrogant, selfish and power-hungry. But King Daneel Anivron…changed my life. It began when I went to his Kingdom. When I learned his life's story, he taught me what real determination was. When I saw his unwavering will to better his people, he taught me the beauty that lies in caring for those other than oneself. And when I saw his pure character first-hand, he taught me what one should aspire to be if they hope to live a life they can be proud of. Even without me realizing it, he stole my heart, and although I will never tell him this, I am prepared to wait for him, even if it is until death, for I am his, whether he claims me or not. I owe him a debt I can never repay, as he turned me from the bratty Xuan who would have lived a wasted life to the Goddess who only wants to do her best to live in a way that truly represents that title. Even if you kill me, I will not agree to say a word against him. So do your f*cking best, you old hag."
"Very well, then."
The reply was followed by a harrowing scream, and Daneel could only watch as Xuan's skin began to be stripped from her body.
Clearly, the torture had begun again, but before he could do anything to stop it…he suddenly found himself awake, in the real world.
[Stability of target's consciousness was found to be precarious. Hence, host was removed from target's consciousness. It has been detected that there are phases of instability and stability. Before being removed, target's consciousness was in a stable state. It is recommended that host should attempt again when the stable state returns.]
Daneel only heard the first part of the system's message, as his eyes were fixed on Xuan, who was also waking up.
She looked around with panic, at first, before calming down as she seemed to have realized that she was not in the room that he had just seen.
A storm of emotions assaulted his mind and heart as he continued to look at her.
Her every word seemed to reverberate in his mind, and suddenly, on a whim that seemed to come from nowhere, he bent forward…and kissed her lips.
She was startled, at first, and although Daneel was shocked due to his own actions, he prepared to pull back in case she resisted.
However, after a second, her lips hungrily reacted, as if they had found something they had been looking for without even realizing it until now.
Her body melted into his, engulfing him completely, and for once, the King shut down his mind, and let his body take over.